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Opiates are drugs there are derived from the opium poppy plant. There are legal opiates that are used to help alleviate severe pain (i.e. Hydrocodone, Morphine, Codeine…etc.) and illegal opiates (i.e. Heroin). Opiates work by affecting certain neurotransmitters in one’s brain. Therefore, all opiates have [...]

Driving under the influence of alcohol can be a life threatening choice, for the intoxicated individual as well as any other person that is driving on the road with him or her. A DUI is given to individuals who are driving with a breath [...]

Anxiety and addiction go hand-in-hand. Some individuals who suffer from severe anxiety will turn to drugs or alcohol to help alleviate the discomforts of their anxiety. Self-medicating cannot only be dangerous, but can also lead to a built up tolerance and result in developing [...]

Alcohol was legalized in America in the 1930s, and since then there are many people who drink alcohol regularly, without any problems. However, there are also many individuals who suffer from alcohol abuse. In fact, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and [...]

Santa Monica, California is located in western Los Angeles County. As is true for most of California, the weather is fantastic and the beach close by. Santa Monica was marked a tourist town in the early twentieth century. The Santa Monica Pier was built [...]

Drug and alcohol abuse can result in a myriad of negative consequences. An individual struggling with substance abuse will often face financial, relationship, familial, career and health challenges. This can leave a person feeling helpless, with nowhere to turn, and limited financial resources when [...]

Opiates are natural drugs that are derived from the opium plant, poppy. Opiates are commonly used in the medical field and are prescribed as acute pain relievers for moderate to severe pain. An example would be prescribing opiates after an individual has had surgery. [...]

Xanax, also known in its generic form as alprazolam, falls under the class of drugs known as benzodiazepines. It is typically used in the medical field as a medication prescribed to help treat individuals with an anxiety or panic disorder. It is also known [...]

There are a number of prescription drugs that are legal, when prescribed by a medical professional and used as prescribed, in the United States. Prescription drug abuse occurs when an individual ingests prescription medication that has not been prescribed by a medical professional, uses [...]

Ultimately, one’s sobriety will solely depend on the specific individual, as it will be that individual who has control over his or her choices. Throughout one’s treatment for substance abuse or addiction, there are often many aspects that will rely on the presence of [...]

The first step in substance abuse or addiction treatment for an individual to go through is detoxification. Whether it be done in a facility that oversees one’s detox or in one’s home, undergoing detox is absolutely necessary to one’s recovery process. If a person [...]

Treatment for substance abuse and addiction is an intense experience, and integrating what was learned throughout it can feel like a full-time job. This is exactly why the importance of self-care, post the completion of one’s treatment program, is essential. Taking the time to [...]

One of the first steps in an individual’s recovery process is going through some kind of detox from his or her drug/s of choice. Ridding one’s body of the foreign substances that it has become accustomed to will create a new chemical baseline for [...]

Detox After an individual realizes that he or she has a substance abuse problem, one of the first steps is detox. Detox is the process of ridding one’s body of an abused substance or substances. In terms of the treatment of substance abuse, it [...]

Getting sober takes extreme willpower and determination. The steps that occur before one gets to the point of being able to maintain his or her sobriety can be grueling. Simply going through the detox process can be enough for someone to say that they [...]

Every person is different and will have a different life story. There will be aspects in here that may resonate with some people and not with others; there may be nothing in here that resonates at all with some people. All I can do [...]

Of all the places I have lived, Santa Monica, California is my favorite, for many reasons. One of the first is that the weather is awesome. The weather is literally perfect 80% of the time. My rent has definitely been on a steady incline [...]

Drug abuse and addiction affects each individually differently. Just like each person is unique; there are nuances of each individual’s addiction that are also unique. There is a plethora of varying drug rehab options available nowadays. Many will have certain strengths that will cater [...]

My mother was my best friend; well at least that is how I like to remember things… In reality, she taught me so many more lessons than I thought possible. I did not realize experiencing such a range of emotions was possible until I [...]

People say that taking prescription pills can be a slippery slope to addiction. I guess I didn’t think it could actually happen to me. I saw all of the horrible things addiction did to my older sister, and knew that I did not want [...]

What Can I Do To Help? First and foremost, it is necessary to educate yourself on the disease of addiction: what goes through the mind of an addict, why it is so hard for them to overcome it, how to approach them to talk [...]

The word family does not only encompass immediate family. It ranges from the standard parents and children to a family unit including friends and loved ones. It is important to embrace anyone the addict defines as family and welcome those individuals into a family [...]

I got pregnant when I was twenty-one years old. I was with the man (I thought at the time) that I was going to spend the rest of my life with, and though she was a bit of a surprise, we were very excited [...]

Drug issues are highly political in just about every country in the world. It is the second most lucrative industry in the world behind the trade and sale of arms. Even oil isn’t as lucrative an industry. Drugs and the drug trade have both [...]

Sober livings can catch a lot of flak. And there certainly are some sober livings that you’re better off somewhere else. But if you let a couple bad apples ruin the bunch you’re missing out on an opportunity to build some serious life skills, [...]

Our daughter, Sofie, insisted that “everyone does it.” She emphatically stated, “My smoking is normal, so don’t worry about it. I’m normal and doing nothing out of the ordinary, so stop worrying about me. I’m old enough to make my own decisions without always [...]

What is Outpatient Treatment Outpatient treatment is nonresidential treatment facilitated by doctors, counselors, and therapists who specialize in the treatment of addiction, and offers many of the same practices that inpatient treatment uses. On top of treating addiction, outpatient offers different types of therapy, [...]

Individuals in the medical field, to help patients with physical pain, prescribe prescription pain medications. Due to the high propensity for dependence and addiction, prescription drugs are considered a controlled substance. Addiction can happen even in individuals who have legitimate prescriptions, but abuse the dosage [...]

Exercise is incredibly beneficial for physical and mental health, and has helped improve the lives of so many people throughout the world, addicts and otherwise. Whether it’s waking up to swim a couple of laps at the local pool, stepping outside to go for [...]

Any highly structured rehabilitation program that lasted anywhere from six to twelve months is classified as a long-term treatment program, according to The National Institute on Drug Abuse. Research indicated that longer residential treatment programs have higher success rates in terms of battling substance [...]

Celebrity gossip magazines love to reveal the shocking details of famous people who have developed a drug or alcohol addiction. There is an appetite for the gory details of how people fall from grace. This type of story has become so common that few [...]

“BURNING MAN IS THE PLACE TO FIND OUT WHO YOU ARE, THEN TAKE IT A STEP FURTHER.” This is the slogan written across the middle of the website for Burning Man, an annual gathering held in the Black Rock Desert in Nevada. Burning man [...]

Making the decision to enter treatment for alcohol, drugs, or addictive behaviors is a major step and overwhelming for most. There are a number of different kinds of facilities, programs, and methods that are utilized by people all over the world, for the process [...]

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If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction and needs help; don’t wait, reach out today. Victoria’s House has been helping people find recovery since 2005 and we can help you too. You don’t have to go through this alone. Contact us today.